Flying machine



Dec. 16,1924. 1,519,686

0. E. JOHNSON FLYING MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O. E.JOHNSON FLYING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

OLARS ERIK JOHNSON, or ELMnuRsT, ILLINOIS.

FLYING MACHINE.

Application filed August 4, 1924. Serial No. 729,878.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, OLARS ERIK JOHN- soN, a subject of the King ofSweden, residing at Elmhurst, in the county of Du Page and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FlyingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invenion relates to flying machines in general, and especially toaeroplanes, and has for its object the provision of mechanism wherebythe machine may be lifted from the earth without the necessity ofextended travel in a horizontal direction on the earths surface. I

A further object is to provide a flying machine which shall be ofimproved construction and operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawings and described in the followingspecification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims. V

In the drawings- I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane having thepresent invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is-a fragmentary elevation of clutching mechanism forming a partof the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the aeroplane wings and fuselage, with.parts of the machine omitted;

Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic front view of the aeroplane; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic section of the top wing on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designatesthe fuselage of an aeroplane which may be of any approved construction,the one illustrated being provided with wings 11, 12 and 13. The wings11 and 12 are of the usual form and operation. The upper wing 13 isprovided with a central section 14 pivoted at 15 and provided withcontrol lines 16 and 17. The lines 16 and 17 extend to a convenientposition for operation by the driver and are I provided with the usualmanipulating levers. The section 14 may be tilted upwardly, asillustrated in F'i 1,' or may be moved to a position par-a1 el with theremaining portion of the wing. ,A drive shaft 18 is arranged in thevertical plane of the main drive shaft which carries the propeller 19.The drive shaft 18 is provided with a propeller 20 arranged at aninclination, as shown.in the drawings. The shaft 18 is inclined to thehorizontal so that the propeller 20 when operated will exert a liftingforcevtending to raise the aeroplane from the ground. The shaft 18 isprovided with gears '21 operated by a shaft 22 which extends downwardlyto a position adjacent thefmain drive shaft of the engine. The lower endof the shaft 22 is provided with a bevel gear 23 which meshes with agear 24 on a short shaft 25. The shaft 25 is an axial alinement with theengine shaft 26, but separate therefrom. At the forward end of the shaft25 a pair of arms 27 and 28 are attached, the

arms being fixed to the shaft 25. A bell crank 29 is pivoted to the arm28, one arm of the bell crank having a clutch band 30 secured thereto,while the other arm is provided with a roller 31. The opposite end ofthe clutch band 30 is secured to the end of the arm 27, and the bandextends about a pulley 32 which is fast on the shaft 26. A cone pulley33 is splined on the shaft 25 in position to engage the roller 31, andis operated by a yoke 34 and a link 35, the link 35 being provided withany suitable lever mechanism. The upright shaft is provided withsuitable roller bearings, shown at 36, for supportingthe end thrustthereon.

At the beginning of a flight, the. driver,

moves the cone pulley 33 forwardly so as to throw the bell crank 29 frominoperative to operative position, shown in Fig. 2. This will tightenthe band 30 upon the pulley 32 and cause the shaft 25 to rotate inunison with the shaft 26, and thus drive the shaft 18 and the propeller20, so that the propeller 20 will exert a lifting force at the beginningof the flight and raise the machine from the earth without the usualextended travel in contact with the earths surface. During this initialmovement the section 14 is tilted upwardly soas to exert an additionallifting force on the machine. When the desired height has been reached,the clutch mechanism for the shaft 25 may be disengaged and the section14 returned to horizontal position so that the plane will operate in theusual manner. While the wing section 14 is tilted upwardly the currentof air from the propeller 20 will strike the lower inclined face of thesection and exert an upward lift on second drive shaft arranged at anangle to' the horizontal, a propeller on said second drive shaft forexerting a forward and 'an' upward force on said flying machine, a wingfor supporting said flying machine having the central portion thereofarranged to tilt into various angles relative to the remainder of saidwing, and means for tilting said portion upwardly during the operationof said second-mentioned propeller.

2. The combination with an aeroplane having a substantially horizontalengine shaft and a propeller secured to said shaft, of an inclined shaftarranged in the vertical plane of said engine shaft, a propeller on saidinclined shaft, an upright shaft geared to said inclined shaft,a'substantially horizontal shaft geared to said upright shaft andarranged in axial alinement with said engine shaft, clutch mechanism forsecuring said horizontal shaft to said engine shaft, a plurality ofwings for said aeroplane, the uppermost one of said wings having apivoted section, and means for tilting said pivoted section to assist inralslng said aeroplane during the operation of said inchnedshaft and thepropeller secured thereto.

3. A flying machinecomprising a pair of centrally disposed propellersarranged one above the other, the upper one of said propellers beinginclined to exert an upward lift on said machine, a'wing member having acentral pivoted section, means for tilting said pivoted section upwardlyto receive the air current from said inclined propeller against thelower face of said section, and driving mechanism for said propellersarranged to permit said upper propeller to remain idle, said pivotedsection being movable into registration with the other portions of saidWing when said upper propeller is idle.

4;. The combination with an aeroplane, of mechanism for facilitatingrising thereof, said mechanism comprising an inclined propeller and awing having a section thereof adjacent said propeller arranged to beinclined upwardly to receive the air current from said propeller, anddriving mechanism for said propeller arranged to permit the same toremain idle for horizontal flying, said wing section being movabledownwardly from its upward indlined position for horizontal flying.

5. In a flying machine, a main propeller, a second inclined propellerfor assisting in rising, a wing having atiltable section adjacent saidinclined propeller and having upwardly bent end portions, and drivingname to this specification on this 11th day

